Earl Washington (musician)

Earl "The Ghost" Washington (April 3, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois – June 18, 1975) was a jazz pianist.

Earl Edward Washington was born, the third child (two older sisters before him), on Sunday, April 3, 1921, in the Prairie Avenue District neighborhood on the near southeast side of Chicago. His parents experienced hard economic times in the pre- and post-Depression era, moving their ever-expanding family to the small community of Morgan Park where they could afford a home. Washington attended Washburn High School, also on the south side of Chicago, that his mother enrolled him in due to his interest in "art".

As a young boy Washington wanted to be a jazz pianist, but his mother wanted him to study classical music, as she had done as a child herself. She arranged private classical piano lessons with the family's music teacher Dr. Walter Dellers (Professor of Music at the Chicago Academy of Music). Dellers advised her not to change his eye–hand coordination that was so envied by most ragtime musicians of the era.

In the summer of 1938 Washington competed in the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament. It is unknown if he won the event at his 160-pound weight class.

After dropping out of Washburn High School in his junior year, he worked as a laborer at Inland Steel located in East Chicago, Indiana.

During World War II, Washington enlisted in the United States Navy as an Apprentice Seaman II; emphasis as a musician (MU SEA). He joined the Illinois Great Lakes Navy Orchestra from 1943-45.

After time spent in the Navy he attended both the Boston and Chicago Conservatories of Music. He joined the Chicago Musicians' Union Local 10-208 on November 15, 1945.

Washington joined the Red Saunders Band in 1949 at the popular nightclub Club DeLisa, where he remained until the mid 1950s. On leaving Saunders' band, Washington worked in the recording studios of Chicago, Detroit and New York City. He wrote music for Motown artists and recorded scores and jingles with Chicago’s jazz pioneer/innovator Quincy Jones and nationally known Chicago disc jockey Herb Kent on Chicago's WVON Radio.

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